Cockatoos of Mallacoota

This post is a summary of what I know about members of the Cockatoo familywhich occur or might occur naturally in the Mallacoota area.  It thus excludes any obvious escapees (which seem to be an unavoidable consequence of aviculture)!

I have defined the Mallacoota area by an somewhat arbitrary rectangle including Genoa Peak, Shipwreck Creek and Gabo Island.

According to the Birdlife Australia (BLA) checklist there are 14 members of the Cockatoo and Corella family recorded in Australia.  7 species in this family have been observed in the Mallacooota area.  It is most unlikely that any of the other 7 species will be observed. in Mallacoota as their current range is hundreds of kilometres away.

Sources of material

Within each family I have listed the species in the order in which they appear in the BLA checklist.  That  checklist is also the source of the scientific names, many of which have been changed recently as taxonomists change their minds about the meaning of life ( or at least DNA sequencing).   They will probably change their minds again in the future.

I have used my own photographs or, where I do not have a usable example, one taken by a named photographer and published in a publicly accessible source.

In commenting about key features and particularly sex differences I have benefited from comments in "The Australian Bird Guide" by Menkhorst et al

Where calls are useful I have linked to sound files included on Avibase.

Comments about key locations in the Mallacoota area are based on records submitted to eBird.  The species maps available from that source are an excellent resource for finding locations (and especially checking where the birds have been seen recently).

Glossy Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus lathami)

Image by Phil Johnstone via Mallacoota Birds FB group.

The birds are not particularly glossy!  In this area they are the only Cockatoo with red panels in the tail.  The illustrated bird is a male: females have a variable amount of yellow markings on the head.

They are dependent on Casuarina nuts for food and are nearly always found in or near trees of that species,  The sound of them crunching the cones is often an early hint about their presence.  Their call is also distinctive.

In this area they occur infrequently in patches of Casuarinas.  The most reports have come from Genoa Peak and Gipsy Point with some reports from the Casuarina Walk and Gun Club Track to the East of Mallacoota.

Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo (Calyptorhynchus funereus)

 The light bill indicates a female or juvenile bird.

Dark bill and pink skin around the eye makes this an adult male.

These are among the most obvious birds in the area.  Large, black, slow flying, noisy (the younger birds extremely so) and sometimes in large flocks (up to 65 birds) they are a common sight in the skies or perched in trees.  They have no particular preference for habitat: in other areas it is noted that they feed on the cones of Pinus radiata and are one of the few species to have benefited from the plantations of that species.

In most situations the birds are unmistakable.  Be warned that sometimes the vagaries of lighting can cause the yellow panels in the tails to appear very pale or reddish  The call will usually resolve any doubt!

The birds are very mobile and can turn up anywhere in the area, flying between food sources or chattering as they feed.  The geographic distribution of sightings is more a reflection of where people go birding than where the species prefers to be.

Gang-Gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum)

 An adult male on the left with a young male bird, just acquiring the red head on the right.

A female showing the yellow barring on the breast and belly.

Much smaller than the preceding species.  The red head of the male is very obvious.  The female is not so immediately striking but they are nearly always seen in pairs (sometimes several pairs in quite large flocks).  Their flight style is also distinctive being described as 'jinking' with strong jerks from side to side.

The creaking gate call, uttered in flight, is very noticeable, often drawing attention to their presence before they are seen.

They are not as commonly reported in this area as the Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoos.   The sites with the higher, but still modest, number of sightings are Genoa Peak, Gipsy Point and the Cape Howe Wilderness area.  There are few reports from the built-up area of Mallacoota: that is a little surprising as in Canberra they are quite common in the suburbs.

Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla)

This photo is included because its cute!

This is the commonest Cockatoo in the area although in the 1950s they were not resident in the area, but regarded as a bird of the Western Plains.  The largest flock reported in this area is 70 birds while in areas of gassier habitat they can form flocks of several hundred

Instantly recognisable by its plumage and flight  call.  A second call is given by young birds begging for food, and is often heard from flocks in trees.  (The begging bird is often quite mature but just feeling lazy.)

They are the opposite of Gang-gangs with most sightings being around the town area or Genoa.

This reflects their diet which is based on grass seeds and tubers (and sometimes insect larvae).

Long-billed Corella (Cacatua tenuirostris)

There was a single eBird record of this species in the Mallacoota area. This was observed on a walk from the Casuarina Track to Davis Lookout and back in 2018.  When followed up by a moderator the record was withdrawn. Interestingly, 4 were reported - with a clear photograph of 1 - from Eden only a week earlier!

 Its distribution is centered on the western agricultural areas of Victoria and New South Wales and adjoining South Australia.  It doesn't seem to be expanding its range (unlike the following species).

While the long bill is a good mark it can be difficult to pick at a distance and the best distinguishing feature of the species is the red skin of the throat and the much greater amount of red around the base of the beak

The call is similar to that of the Little Corella: the Australian Bird Guide notes the calls can only be separated by experience.

Little Corella (Cacatua sanguinea)

Not a common bird in this area, with only 5 records on eBird.  Its traditional distribution is Australia -wide except for the highest ranges and the driest deserts.  However it is expanding its range and has become quite common in Canberra.

Basically a smaller, all-white Cockatoo.  When seen well the small white crest and blue eye ring are good marks.

The call is an easy distinction from Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, but as noted above is similar to the Long-billed Corella.

The 5 records are all around the town area, probably again reflecting food preferences.

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)

Doing what they do: ripping up vegetation!

Surprisingly few (19) eBird records for this species and all around Mallacoota town or Gipsy Point..

If seen at all well, unmistakeable.  Large white Cockatoo with a sulphur yellow crest (yes, I am astonished that taxonomists used an obvious feature).  In the distance they could be mistaken for Corellas, but the call is very different.

I wonder if the species is under-reported as it is so common elsewhere that people that don't think it is worth including?

Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus)

Only two records for the area, both from 2010, reported to the Victorian Birdline in 2010.  The species is unmistakeable and at least one observer is very experienced.  The sightings were at Double Creek and around town.

The call is quite distinctive.

In Canberra there is always doubt as to whether the few birds seen are escapees as the species is very popular as a cage bird.  (Several of the sound recordings on Avibase are from Europe and undoubtedly escapes.)  While the eBird range map shows a significant gap between the normal range and Mallacoota it may be that those observed were nomads.